Game

ABSTRACT

A game comprising means defining a clothesline, support means for the clothesline, a plurality of playing pieces representing articles of wearing apparel, means provided for hanging the playing pieces on the clothesline, and a card or plate having a spinner mounted thereon. The card or plate is provided with segmented indicia defining stopping positions of the spinner, and indicating what articles of clothing are to be added to the clothesline or removed therefrom when the pointer stops on that segment. The game is played until the winner succeeds in hanging up all his playing pieces on the clothesline.

United States Patent 1191 Enos 1 GAME [76] Inventor: Madge I. Enos, 337 Harper,

Watervliet, Mich. 49098 [22] Filed: Nov. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 202,135

[52] US. Cl. 273/135 F [51] Int. Cl. A63F 3/00 [58] Field of Search 273/135 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,284,513 11/1918 West 273/135 F 2,506,184 5/1950 Twining 273/135 F FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 974,923 11/1964 United Kingdom 273/135 F [451 July 22, 1975 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Samuel Kurlandsky [57] ABSTRACT A game comprising means defining a clothesline, support means for the clothesline, a plurality of playing pieces representing articles of wearing apparel. means provided for hanging the playing pieces on the clothesline, and a card or plate having a spinner mounted thereon. The card or plate is provided with segmented indicia defining stopping positions of the spinner, and indicating what articles of clothing are to be added to the clothesline or removed therefrom when the pointer stops on that segment. The game is played until the winner succeeds in hanging up all his playing pieces on the clothesline.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a game which is played with game or playing pieces and wherein the play of the game is directed by a spinner comprising an indicator needle rotatably mounted on a card or plate. Games utilizing spinners have been disclosed in the art. However, such games have generally comprised the activity of placing playing pieces on a flat board, the positions to be determined by the spinner indication. Such two-dimensional games in earlier days were quite popular, but have not attracted a great deal of interest in our modern three-dimensional world.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game having a three-dimensional makeup.

It is a further object to provide a game of the type described wherein the movement of the game or playing pieces is determined by operating a spinner by each participant in turn.

It is still further an object to provide a game wherein the activity of the game follows well-known procedures constituting a portion of normal everyday life.

It is an additional object to provide a game which will retain the interest of the players and which is attendant with considerable excitement during the course of playing the game.

It is still an additional object of the invention to provide a game which can be played by persons of all ages.

It is a further object to provide a game which is relatively simple and inexpensive to fabricate.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the useful game herein fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing, and the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, such disclosed embodiments illustrating, however, but several of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

According to the invention, a game is provided in which each player is provided with a clothesline having supports. Each player is additionally provided with playing pieces of metal or paperboard each in the form of one of various items of clothing or wearing apparel. Means is also provided for affixing each piece of clothing to the clothesline, as for example individual clothespins, or, in a second embodiment, a hook provided at the end of each item of clothing. The game also comprises a spinner mounted on a card, paperboard or plate, the surface thereof being divided into sectors, each indicating whether an item of apparel is to be hung on the clothesline or taken off. A spinner is pivotally mounted on the board. Each player in turn spins the spinner and adds or subtracts an article of apparel to or from the clothesline, as indicated by the sector on which the pointer of the spinner comes to rest. The first player who completes hanging all the clothing on his clothesline wins the game. Alternatively, other methods of scoring may be utilized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the clothesline arrangement utilized in playing the game of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a plurality of game or playing pieces shaped to designate various articles of clothing.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a spinner device utilized in playing the game; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a playing piece representing another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a clothesline assembly 10 is shown including a pair of pyramidal supporting bases 1 1 and 12, a pair of poles 13 and 14, each affixed at one end to the bases 11 and 12, respectively, and a clothesline 15 affixed at each end to the ends of the poles.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plurality of playing pieces 16 formed of sheet-form material and having the shape and the names of various pieces of wearing apparel, including a pair of stockings 17, a pair of socks 18, pajama tops 19, bra 20, panties 21, dress 22, pants 23, shorts 24, undershirt 25, slip 26, shirt 27, pajama bottoms 28, and nightgown 29. FIG. 1 illustrates a dress 22 affixed to the clothesline 15 by means of clothespins 36 which may be doll-type snap clothespins. The items of wearing apparel 16 may be formed from sheet-form matereial of many kinds such as paperboard, cardboard, plastic, or metal. If desired the wearing apparel items may be painted to render them more realistic. Additionally, as shown in the drawing, they may be lettered to indicate the name of the piece of wearing apparel.

As shown in FIG. 3, the game additionally includes a spinner assembly 30 having a base 31 of a material such as cardboard, paperboard, or metal, a pivot pin 32 mounted therein, and a spinninng arrow 33 pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 32. The spinning arrow 33 has a pointer 34 at its end. The base 31 is divided into a plurality of sectors 35, each indicating the operation to be performed if the spinning arrow 33 stops with the pointer 34 resting on the particular sector. The sectors may give instruction to add a particular article of apparel, add any item of apparel, take away a particular article of apparel, or take away any item of apparel.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which each item of apparel, a pair of shorts 37 being shown for illustrative purposes, having a turned over tab 38 adapted to engage and hook over the clothesline, thereby supporting the item of apparel without the need for clothespins. Alternatively, the articles of wearing apparel may be provided with permanent magnets or magnetized areas for engaging the clothesline, which should then be made up of iron or steel wire.

As an example of a physical embodiment of the game, which may be utilized by four players, the game may include eight wood poles each having a length of about nineteen inches and a diameter or thickness of one-half inch, eight triangular or pyramidal pole stands each being about five inches on a side and made of a material such as wood, steel or any other suitable material strong enough to hold the poles. Four pieces of twine each thirty-six inches long may be utilized for the clotheslines. Where clothespins are utilized, 104 small doll-type snap clothespins may be provided. Sixty pieces of sheet-form material properly cut to the shape of the various items of apparel may be provided. Alternatively, more or less items of clothing may be utilized, as long as the same number is furnished to each player. A single spinner assembly having a diameter of about nine inches and being divided into sectors having the names of the various items of clothing may be utilized by all the players in turn. The spinner assembly should in the preferred form contain five such sectors having the legend Take One Item Whatever You Want, two sectors with the legend Take Down One Item, one sector with the legend Rainy Day All Clothes Down, and one sector with the legend Take Choice of One Sock or One Stocking. Other legends may be appropriately added or substituted for those shown in the drawing.

The game may be played with from two to four players, although more may be utilized if the sets of clothesline assemblies and playing pieces are increased in number. Each player receives two poles, two pole stands, twenty-three clothespins, and fifteen pieces of clothing. After affixing the poles in the pole stands and tying the ends of the clothesline to the ends of the poles to provide a horizontal clothesline, the first person spins the spinner. He then carries out the operation indicated. For example, if the pointer of the spinner stops on the sector having the legend Pajama Top, he takes the pajama top and hangs it on the clothesline and fastens it there with the Clothespins. The next player then spins the spinner, and also carries out the operation indicated by the legend on the sector where the pointer of the spinner stops. Each player takes his turn in rotation and adds items of wearing apparel to the line or takes them down as indicated. If the indicator stops on Rainy Day All Clothes Down, all the clothes are taken off the players line and he must start over again. The first player who manages to hang all his items of apparel on the line is the winner. Alternatively, points may be awarded for hanging each item of apparel, the winner being declared as the one who obtains the greatest number of points.

The game of the present invention is one of considerable interest to the players since it deals with an activity which they, particularly those of the female sex, engage in or will engage in in the future. The game is relatively simple to play and may be played by persons of all ages. The game is relatively simple to construct, package and market, and may be so marketed at a relatively low price.

While but only a few forms of the invention have been shown and described, other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the embodiments shown in the drawing are merely for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the spirit and scope of the invention as above described and illustrated in the drawing. I

I claim: 1

1. A game comprising at least one clothesline and means for supporting same in substantially horizontal position above a horizontal surface comprising a pair of support bases adapted to rest in equilibrium on a flat horizontal surface, and a pair of poles each affixed at one end to one of said support bases, the ends of said clothesline being affixed to the other ends of said poles, a plurality of playing pieces simulating articles of wearing apparel, means for affixing each article of wearing apparel to said clothesline in such manner that said article of wearing apparel hangs suspended from said clothesline, and a spinner assembly comprising a base, a pivot pin vertically mounted with respect to said base having an indicating pointer at one end pivotally mounted on said pivot pin, said base being divided into sectors each providing instructions for adding to or removing from said clothesline one or more playing pieces.

2. A game according to claim 1, comprising four clotheslines.

3. A game according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting said playing pieces on said clothesline comprises a plurality of Clothespins.

4. A game according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting said playing pieces on said clothesline comprises a turned over tab at one end of each playing piece adapted to engage and hook onto said clothesline. 

1. A game comprising at least one clothesline and means for supporting same in substantially horizontal position above a horizontal surface comprising a pair of support bases adapted to rest in equilibrium on a flat horizontal surface, and a pair of poles each affixed at one end to one of said support bases, the ends of said clothesline being affixed to the other ends of said poles, a plurality of playing pieces simulating articles of wearing apparel, means for affixing each article of wearing apparel to said clothesline in such manner that said article of wearing apparel hangs suspended from said clothesline, and a spinner assembly comprising a base, a pivot pin vertically mounted with respect to said base having an indicating pointer at one end pivotally mounted on said pivot pin, said base being divided into sectors each providing instructions for adding to or removing from said clothesline one or more playing pieces.
 2. A game according to claim 1, comprising four clotheslines.
 3. A game according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting said playing pieces on said clothesline comprises a plurality of clothespins.
 4. A game according to claim 1, wherein said means for supporting said playing pieces on said clothesline comprises a turned over tab at one end of each playing piece adapted to engage and hook onto said clothesline. 